Never let 9-11 fade from memory

Thursday, Sept. 11 will mark the 24th Anniversary of the attack on America. Most Americans who are old enough to recall the day, remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. It was an era in which television was still the public’s dominant news and the televised images of death and destruction remain etched in the memories of those watching.

As a nation, we collectively held our breath, not knowing how the day would end. During his address to the nation on the evening of 911, President Bush also said, “Our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America, with the daring of our rescue workers.”

Let us all remember 9/11, now called Patriot Day, to ensure the lessons and spirit of heroism from that day are never forgotten. The events of Sept. 11, 2001, taught all of us that our law enforcement, firefighters and emergency personnel are in an occupation that is inherently dangerous.

In Iowa’s communities, we live within a cloak of security and the feeling of being safe. That cloak of security is held in place by our first responders, many of them volunteers. We live within the feeling of safety, knowing that these responders are just a call away, with public safety telecommunicators, whom we call dispatchers, sending them to our aid. They are an important part of our community. Our law enforcement, firefighters and emergency personnel are members of our family, our friends and our neighbors.

During this Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, take time to pause and honor the victims, reflect on the extraordinary courage of first responders and ordinary citizens alike, pay tribute to those who took the fight to the enemy and sacrificed to protect and defend our freedom, and never let Sept. 11, 2001, fade from our memory.

Becky Dirks Haugsted is commander of the Department of Iowa Veterans of Foreign Wars.